From her armchair in Pallister Park, Paula picked up Facebook and phone messages and plotted the whereabouts of each one on a special online map.

The mum-of-four painstakingly logged each mayday call, allowing the emergency services and a group of private boat owners – the so-called Cajun Navy – to know exactly where to go.

Recalling one distressing call, Paula said: “I took a call from one lady whose niece was trapped on the second floor of her home in Port Arthur, with water rising fast. Her teenage sons had been electrocuted by power lines.

“It was difficult to sit there and know that because the coastguard said it was too dangerous, the boats couldn’t get in to rescue her. It was traumatic, awful – one of those moments that will stick with me for the rest of my life.”

Paula added: “To this day, I don’t know if she survived or not. There’s not a night goes by I don’t pray for that poor lady.”

Paula spent nearly three weeks helping the victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

Now, as a thank you, the Cajun Navy has adopted Paula as an honorary member and sent her a commemorative plaque of Texas.

But Paula said she felt compelled to help.

She continued: “I have lots of friends in America – I’ve always loved the southern states – so when the hurricane was on its way, I knew they’d be affected, so I joined a Facebook page ‘Hurricane Harvey – together we can make it’ and signed up as a data inputter.

“They kept a tally of all the people who were saved by the pin you put on the map.

“I worked so hard my phone overheated. I also strained muscles because of all the typing.

“But by the end, 1,242 people had been helped to safety because of my data on the map.”

She added: “I couldn’t sit here and do nothing with all those people stuck and asking for help.

“I’m just glad I could do something.”

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